On 12 September 1908, Quan Foy was advised that on 8 May 1908, the Bureau of Immigration with the approval of the Department of Commerce and Labor he was granted thirty days annual leave of absence and two hundred and twenty days leave without pay to give him the opportunity to visit his former home in China. After his return he would resume his duties as Chinese Interpreter in Sumas, Washington. He left Sumas on 27 October 1908.

A letter dated 11 July 1908, stated that he would be entitled to bring his wife into the U.S. when he returned from China at the expiration of the leave provided his status remained the same.

The letter was signed by H. Edsell, Chinese Inspector in Charge at Sumas.

Lem Chan was 19 years old when he first arrived in the United States at San Francisco in 1871. Since then he was working as a cook in a restaurant in Astoria, Oregon. He was living at Me Gin John’s place when he lost his Certificate of Residence on Christmas day 1902. In 1904 he took a chicken oath to swear that his certificate was lost and destroyed by fire in Lum Lop Wy’s store.

[The rationale behind the Chicken Oath was that the Chinese were not Christians and therefore could not be believed when they swore on the Bible. Many courts in the United Sates and Canada had them swear over a freshly killed chicken.]

On 6 October 1930 Can Ho (alias Howard Kan), a merchant and member of Gon Wing & Company, 1307 First Avenue, Seattle, WA, filed an applicant for a re-entry permit, form 631. He was 52 years old and was born in Nam Tong Village, China. His parents were Sai Yick Kan and Leong Shee. He was married to Chun Shee who had died recently. He was originally admitted to the U.S. in 1907 and visited China in 1916, 1927 and 1930.
The Immigrant Inspector visited Gon Wing & Company and estimated the merchandise on hand was worth in excess of $3,000. He recommended that Can Ho’s application be approved.